The Lifesaver Day job: Dr. Andrew M. Cash, 42, a spinal surgeon and head of the
Desert Institute for Spine Care, performed the Las Vegas Valley’s first
oblique lumbar interbody fusion procedure—a new, less-invasive spinal
surgery technique. Passion project: He’s one of the leaders of Boys Nite Out, a
November 14 event presented by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Las Vegas that matches local businessmen with underprivileged kids for a night of
fun and games.
Inspiration: Raised by his grandparents, Cash had to think outside
the box to achieve his professional success, and he’s teaching kids to
follow in his footsteps. “If I just sit here and do things the way I was
trained the first day,” he says, “the science and technology don’t
progress and my patients are really limited in what they’re going to be
offered. If you get outside your comfort level just a little bit, then you
grow as an individual and as a person.”

The Sports Hero Claim to fame: Pro golfer Ryan Moore will defend his victory in last
year’s Shriners Hospitals for Children Open when he takes the course at
TPC Summerlin this month.
Hitting (at) home: “I play so many tournaments where nobody’s
there,” he says. But Moore, 30, can expect to see an army of UNLV Rebels
from his alma mater, as well as friends and family, rooting for him on his
home turf.
Giving back: His success is Shriners’ gain. The Birdies4Shriners program, created by Moore’s corporate sponsor, the Las Vegas–based
Shift4, donates money to the hospitals for every birdie, eagle, and ace he
makes and allows the public to do the same. “That’s a big part of being on
the PGA tour,” he says. “It’s about giving back, and that was really a
perfect relationship with them.”

The Nightlife KingRocking revenue: When Alex Cordova joined Angel Management
Group in 2008, it was his job to make MGM Grand’s Wet Republic a celeb
magnet and DJ destination. By 2009 its gross revenue had more than
doubled, from $5 million to $13 million.
Star power: These days, the AMG marketing vice president, 35, is the
man behind Hakkasan Las Vegas, pulling in resident DJs like Tiësto and
Calvin Harris and stars such as Jason Statham and Vanessa Hudgens.
Only in Vegas: “We haven’t flooded the market with the same product,
which is a common mistake in the hospitality sector,” Cordova says.
Hakkasan offers a unique experience—such as fine dining, hip-hop, or
electronic dance music—on each of its five levels, a concept that has raised
AMG to new heights. “Thinking outside the box is essential.”

The Tech GeniusPackaging desire: After 16 years working in customer development
and VIP guest relations for the 9 Group at venues like N9NE Steakhouse,
Ghostbar, and Rain nightclub, Marko Greisen, 39, knew a thing or two
about what people wanted from their Vegas experience. With the help of
investors like former Facebook CPO Chris Kelly, he cofounded
Galavantier.com, a Las Vegas travel site that, through his patented
technology, bundles hotel rooms, shows, nightlife, tours, and activities all
across town.
Not a big-box travel store: “We go on everything we sell,” Greisen
says. “We experience everything.” This year, he also launched a Vegascentric
YouTube travel channel (with more than a million views so far)
and is unveiling a Galavantier program that will allow customers to
examine the interiors of popular nightclubs and book their table online.
Behind-the-screen magic: “I actually work more now than when I
was in the nightlife industry,” Greisen says. “But I’m not interacting with
people face-to-face. I’m doing it virtually.”

The Rock VisionaryDream to reality: Rehan Choudhry was just 14 years old when he
attended his first music festival. Nearly 20 years later, he’s the mastermind
behind the Life Is Beautiful Festival, which will bring acts like Kings of
Leon, Beck, and Jurassic 5 to Downtown Las Vegas, October 26–27.
Pushing limits: Choudhry, 32, moved to Vegas in 2010 to be director of
entertainment and special events at Cosmopolitan. But he “wanted to
create something that has a lasting impact on the community,” he says, so
he took a gamble on bringing rock ’n’ roll back to the desert.
Loving Las Vegas: Unlike the promoters of Vegoose—the city’s last
attempt at a rock festival—Choudhry is embracing the community with
local up-and-comers and homegrown stars like The Killers and Imagine
Dragons. “When Vegoose disappeared, the industry wrote off Vegas as a
festival market,” he says. After seeing the enormous response to
Cosmopolitan’s entertainment program, though, “My gut told me that
this was the place and this was the time to do it.”

The Liquor ProdigyStar power: What could be more rewarding than George Clooney
telling you it’s your time to shine? David Gimpelson, a 12-year veteran of
the liquor business, met Clooney, Rande Gerber, and Mike Meldman in
April 2012, when they were looking for a COO for their upstart tequila
brand, Casamigos. They launched the following January, landing in all
50 states, thanks to the efforts of Gimpelson, 33.
On the road: Gimpelson not only went door to door around the country,
but he used his hometown relationships to turn Casamigos into a top tequila
served at hotels, casinos, and A-list events like the Power of Love Gala.
Channeling Clooney: Unlike in his previous liquor gigs, Gimpelson
now takes a cooler approach to the sales pitch. “We are not the traditional
liquor brand, where we go out with the ABCs of sales calls,” he says.
“There aren’t corporate shareholders and people calling the shots from
behind a desk. It’s more like a family business.”

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Who are the Las Vegas men shaking things up in their fields—the idea guys who aren’t afraid to make bold moves, the wholly original thinkers constantly reminding us why this city is a hotbed of entertainment, philanthropy, and business? They are our Vegas Aces, and each year we scout for leading local men making a major impact. Our class of 2013 is no exception. Among them are charity-minded local heroes, an innovative cultural-community mobilizer, a sales and marketing whiz kid, and the man raising the bar for the nightlife industry.